Pressure-reducing valve.



. No. 646,428 I R. HARDIE.

PRESSURE REDUCING VALVE.

(Application -fl1ad Apr. 8, 1899.)

, (Np Modal.)

HIHHHIIM HI I WITNESSES:

Patentd Apr, 3, 1900.

INVENTOR ATTORN EY.

UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

ROBERT HARDIEQOF onIo'Aeo, ILLINOIS.

PRESSURE-REDUCING VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming; part of Letters Patent No. 646,428, dated April3, 1900. Application filed April 3,1899. Serial No; 711,483. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT HARDIE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pressure-ReducingValves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pressure-reducing devices or valves, and hasfor its object improvements in the construction of this class of valvesto correct the want of accuracy of such valves as heretofore made whenemployed to reduce a very high storage pressure to a comparatively-lowworking pressure and when the variations of the pressure of the activefluid extend over a wide range at the source of supply-as, for instance,when the fluid is contained in a reservoir under initial pressure manytimes greater than the desired working pressure and is utilized untilits pressure about equals the working pressure.

This invention consists of the combination, with a valve adapted toclose a passage from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure orworking side of the device, of a piston fitted in a cylindrical bore andexposed at one side to the high-pressure and at its other side to thelow or working pressure side of the device, a diaphragm connected to thepiston and valve and located in a chamber open to the low or workingpressure, and an adjustable spring arranged to act in opposition to thelow pressure acting on the diaphragm. The invention also provides ameans for closing the Valve-opening should the valve from any cause, asthe breakage of its stem, be abnormally raised from its seat, said meansconsisting of acollar or piston on the stem of the valve, formed to fitinto and then close the valve-opening when the valve is brought to restby coming in contact with a part of the body of the device after beingabnormally raised.

The accompanying drawing represents in central vertical section apressure-reducing valve embodying my invention, and to which I willrefer to more fully describe the nature and operation of myimprovements.

The body a is a suitably-formed casting having an inlet a, by which itmay be connected by the pipe b to the source of supply, which may be areservoir containing comclosed by a plug 01.

pressed air or other elastic fluid, and an outlet M, by which it may beconnected by the pipe 0 to the engine or other motor device that is tobe actuated by the fluid under reduced ment by contact with the cap awhich closes the opening in the body through which the valve-seat isformed and the valve inserted in the device. This excessive movement ofthe valve 6 will occur only from accidentas, for instance, the breakageof the valve-stem below the piston or collar fand at such time thepiston or collar f will practically cut off the high-pressure from thelow or working pressure side of the device, and any slight escape offluid that may occur, tending to raise the working pressure above thenormal, will be provided for by means of a safety-valve usually used forthispurpose. 7

Below the valve-seat d and in alinement axially therewith is formed thecylindrical bore g, in which is fitted the piston h, secured to the stem6 of the valve e. This piston is preferably of the cup-packing kind andis provided with a suitable lubricant,which may also act as a liquidseal therefor through a hole formed through .the side of the bore 9, Thepiston his subjected on its upper side to the action of the highpressurefluid-supply and is made of such area that its surface exposed to suchsupply normally balances the pressure under valve c. The lower end ofthe piston 72 is provided with a collar 7t, for the reception of which ashouldered recess is formed on the lower end of the cylindrical chamberg, and this collar by contact with the shoulder of the recess acts as astop to prevent the valve 6 opening too far in ordinary Working, forshould the diaphragmj break the valve might move into its extreme upperposition. This shoulder and collar also limit the distance the diaphragmcan be moved. and relieve the diaphragm of the whole force or power ofthe spring q when there is no pressure in the device.

The diaphragm j closes a chamber 70, located immediately below thecylindrical bore g of the body, by being clamped between the flange ofsaid chamber and the retaining-ring or frame Z, a collar m beinginterposed between the diaphragm and the piston h and a washer it placedon the outside of the diaphragm, the whole-via, the washer n, thediaphragm j, the collar m, and the piston hbeing rigidly secured on thestem 0 of the valve 2 by the nut 0. The chamber is in communication withthe outlet a through the passage 10, the fluid under the reduced orworking pressure thus acting on the diaphragm j to tend to close thevalve 6.

To counterbalance the low working pressure on the diaphragm j, so thatthe device will operate to supply and maintain a constant desiredworking pressure at the outlet (R, the spring q is caused to bearagainst the washer n on the under side of the diaphragm, it being upheldthereagainst by seating in a yoke-piece 1', which is connected to thering of the frame Z by means of the bolts and nuts .9 s. The nuts ofthese bolts are arranged to hold the yoke-pieces in different positions,so that the spring q may be more or less compressed, according to therequired upward forces necessary to oppose the pressure actingdownwardly on the diaphragm to cause the device to act under the desiredconditions.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a pressure-reducin g valve, thecombination of the body of the device having a valve-seat and acylindrical bore in alinement, a valve fitted to the valve-seat, and apiston connected thereto fitted to the cylindrical bore, one side onlyof said piston being exposed to the high-pressure inlet of the device tocause it to act to close the valve against its seat, a diaphragm locatedin a chamber of the body and connected to the valve and piston, saidchamber being in communication with the other side of the piston andwith the outlet or working-pressure side of the device and a springarranged to act on the diaphragm in opposition to the force of the lowpressure thereon.

2. In a pressure-reducing valve, the combination of the body of thedevice having a valve-seat and a cylindrical bore in alinement, a valvefitted to the valve-seat, and a piston connected thereto fitted to thecylindrical bore, one side only of said piston being exposed to thehigh-pressure inlet of the device, a diaphragm located in a chamber ofthe body and connected to the valve and piston, said chamber being incommunication with the other side of the piston and with the outlet orworking-pressure side of the device and a spring arranged to act on thediaphragm in opposition to the force of the low pressure thereon and acollar on the lower end of the piston arranged to bear against ashoulder of the cylinder to limit the movement of the valve and thediaphragm.

3. In a pressure-reducing valve, the combination of a body havingavalve-seat, a valve fitted to close said seat, means for opposing thehigh pressure acting on the valve to open it, and a collar or pistonconnected to the stem of the valve and fitted to close the valveopening,should the valve from any cause he abnormally raised from its seat.

4. In a pressure-reducing valve, the combination of the body of thedevice having a valve-seat and a cylindrical bore in alinement, a valvefitted to the valve-seat, and a piston connected thereto fitted to thecylindrical bore, one side only of said piston being exposed to thehigh-pressure inlet of the device, to cause it to act to close the.valve against its seat and a collar or piston connected to the stem ofthe valve and fitted to close the valve -opening should the valve fromany cause he abnormally raised from its seat.

5. In a pressure-reducing valve, the combination of the body of thedevice having a valve-seat and a cylindrical bore in alinement, a valvefitted to the valve-seat, and a piston connected thereto fitted to thecylindrical bore, one side only of said piston being ex posed to thehigh-pressure inlet of the device to cause it to act to close the valveagainst its seat, a diaphragm located in a chamber of the body andconnected to the valve and piston, said chamber being in communicationwith the other side of the piston and with the outlet orworking-pressure side of the device, a spring arranged to act on thediaphragm in opposition to the force of the low pressure thereon, and acollar or piston connected to the stem of the valve and fitted to closethe valve-opening, should the valve from any cause be abnormally raisedfrom its seat.

6. In a pressure-reducing valve, the combi* nation of the body of thedevice having a valve-seat anda cylindrical bore in alinement (with ashouldered recess at its lower end), a valve fitted to the valve-seat,and a piston connected thereto fitted to the cylindrical bore (andhaving a collar at its lower end), one side of said piston being exposedto the highpressure inlet of the device, a diaphragm located ina chamberof the body and connected to the valve and piston, said chamber being incommunication with the other side of the piston and with the outlet orworking-pressure side of the device, a spring arranged to act on thediaphragm in opposition to the force of the low pressure thereon, and acollar or piston connected to the stem of the valve and fitted to closethe valve-opening, should the valve from any cause be abnor mally raisedfrom its seat.

Signed at Rome, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, this 29thday of -March, A. D. 1899.

ROBERT HARDIE.

Witnesses:

GEO. D. LITTLE, S. A. DOHN.

